New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-01-02
HAYWARD'S LETTERS.
HALF A CENTURY OF ENGLISH POLITICS AND
SOCIETY

pl wi, BIS viii $50. Scribner Welford
"If you have been wise or wicked enough
wrote DR.. Ferguson TO Mr.. Hayward, ito keep
Journal of the social conditions of England in
your DAY, | doubt whether any one now awe
could present The aspects of English life with such
power as youisclf Broadly and fcarlcssly han
died as YOU would handle the subject. what a
Memorabilia Haywardiana you could give, unit
inc the crit zeal ken of tc scholar with the kn0W
cdgc Of the man of the wOrld-that KNOWLEDGE
which can only he caught rs looks are cauehV oy
the photographer and which pcrishcs under re-
Election or recollection" Mr.. llaywaIds qGlllh
cations MS a memoir writer were indeed remark
able ami there general disappointment In the
London world when il was discovered That nc hao
left no diaries or personal "reminiscences lie
made q fair start at the bar, AMI earned an cN-
ccllcnt reputation the founder ana editor Oh
The Law Magazine" bal hc abandoned his pro
fcssion in his prime and devoted the rest of
lon. life to the calling for which nature seems 10
have specially fitted him-tat Of the friend OF
famous men and brilliant women. and the bcSl
dner-Out In Ionlon He knew almost everybody
i'm En.l sh public life. AMI had many intlmaclcs
among French statesmen. His translation OF
"Fa,st7 curly gave him a stan ling in literature.
which was vastly strengthened by his connection
with the "Quartcrlv" aud Edinburgh reviews
and other important periodicals. lie has bceh
viewers: he was certainly one Of the most indus
trious. His contributions were eagerly read by
the class for whom quarterly reviews are chiefly
written. for they reflected precisely the tone OF
their society, AMI the best of item sparlled with
anccdotc detail an illus rat ion which the author
had acquired not from books but from social inter
course at the best clubs and the best houses
IOclShart said that Iaywards power of "anlasSng
interest was unique The bio-raphica papers, III
which he conSnicuOusly eXcccd. aboundcd Win
cntertainny particulars drawn from his rlch stores
of familiar knowledge of the men of at least TWO
generations Some of them. as an obit uayy writer
in "The Times remarked "rcSt nearly as much
On his social successes as on his literary skin
i'm fact rs literary studies they not likely 10
hold permanent fame but they are commcndablc
for livciness of style, ncatncss of construction
and a prevailing sagacity and scnsblcncSs.
Hayward was called by one of his concspon' cnls
n connecting link between political ana literary
society. lie also the intermediary of u great
deal OF intercourse between English AMI French
statesmen and he was constantly cntagcd in those
unofficial communications at fricn ly or fashion
able gatherings and condolences over the dinner
table by which far than by diplomatic
notes tie business Of nations is So often carried
IN lie never held office but hc was much M the
secrets of politics. lprd LyndhuISt. Lord Lans-
tary of Crmcau day, Lord Stanhope. Ialmcr>tou.
TLicrs Mime. Mon lcmhct, the BuwcTS, and
Mr. Gladstone are IA NJ tie statesmen with
whom he was <r 49, clos 4 &c ms and his cor
iCsppnlcncc witt thcm large part of the
present volumes. y" cai ~ that the letters
uTon the who'c ,,.. d.~'I plutin:. 7" y contain
Interesting matcra', .nr a history a. En-lish
parties. but wLcrc they to- 4 upon the great
nnaiIs % t,e world tucy TASTY ana mcagIe-
like the occasional notes OF ir MS who meet SO
often that they have N t.II to express them
selves very fully by .t' STIR from the whole
mass 1t il easy to pick c.t plenty Of entertain.
ment-striiuns comments mon men and affairs, IN
dications of charactcr and few good stories
Tic purely literary inici'-t f the volumes is not
great. Hayward seems II have mcddlcd lttl'
with literature EXCEPT where he found il in con
nectiOn with politics or society, and some Of the
most illusirious names of liz time viii hardly be
found in the correspondence. The most notable
exception 10 this general statement is Thackcray
Macyey Napier. tie editor Of The Edinburgh
Re lew wrote TO Hayward in 1915: "Nhl yon
tel mc-coniidenl tally Of couisc-whcthcr you
know anything Of Mr.. 1hac'.cray. about whom
Ioncman has written me thinking lac would be
good honl for light articles? lie SAYS Ioncm'n
that TINS Mr. 1hacleray is enc Of the best writers
in Punch Cnc requires to be very much on
ones guard in engaging with mere stianyeIs.
As this Mr.. 1hackerey had altcady published
"Thc Great IIOrEarty Diamond Tho Luck OF
Barry Lyndon" AMI many other things, tie cau-
ton OF the Scotch editor strikes one as excessive:
but it is fact that 1hacl<cray was almost un
, known until after the appearance of VANITY
Fair Hayward wrote a review of this novel
for the Edinburgh, being coached for the
cason by Mis- Proctor the wife of Barry Corn
wall. who marked passages for him and wrote a
l.ttep of INST nd iat Nc 4
notice by Hayward Of Thackcray's lecture on
Swift cal ed forth the following note:
Mr.. W. NJ 1haclcray to Mr.. Hayward.
kcnsiDytOn May %. 1si7.
o. most kind Hayward Why do you 20 for
TO say that thought the words only wOmans
hair Indicated heatleSsucss? / said | thought
them thc most affecting words | ever heard in
Idica;ing the trIcst passion, love, and Icm1lsr
| said. though Swift ann unccd himself i'll that
letter to Bolin-brolle AmbitionSt, and tool;
TO the road AMI robbed say that yOur article
lust read is a most kind. han some. and gentle
manlike one. and Pm glad TO think | have such
good friends and generous hackers in this fight.
where all isn't generosity and good friendship ami
fair play. AMONGST the company see that Lori
| D. present; how Lady D must have
| been surprised But the truth is that lectures
1--we MT do They were all friends. and packed
ihouse though, to be slrc. if goes 10 mans heart
Ito find AMONGST his friends such men as you ana
fKinglal<c and Venabes. Higgins, RawlinsOn Car
lyle, AsfDirion ana ldliahl Mlill"h' MacduidS'
Nibeforcc look NJ on nlly. Excuse cgOtism.
which means thanks in this instance.
Always gratefully yours dear Hayward.
I. W. VI. IHACKERAY.
: Thacl,eray was proposed FOR membership at the
Atheneum by IIa!lam and Dean Mlman. and was
excluded by on, black ball This injury, which
was redcsscd by his election by the committee
year later, was The subject of the following adj
plirablc letter:
Mr. 1hacllcray to Mr.. Hayward
Kcnsin2ton, Feb. /, 1850.
NV DEAR HAYWARD Thank you for your kind